Some holy water would have sufficed.
The Associated Press reports that fifty-one-year-old Juanita Gomez was found guilty of first-degree murder for fatally shoving a crucifix and medallion down her daughter's throat. Gomez says she did it because she believed her daughter, Geneva, was possessed by the devil. Now, the Oklahoma mom is facing life in prison without parole.
After the 2016 tragic incident, Gomez pleaded not guilty and possibly could have got a reduced sentence by claiming reasons of insanity. However, a psychologist declared her competent enough to stand trial and added that Gomez was "was grossly feigning memory problems to appear incompetent."
Geneva's body was found by her boyfriend, Francisco, who later testified that Geneva's arms were spread out in a way similar to crucifixion. When speaking of the incident, Francisco noted, “You couldn’t even recognize her face at all. Like, that’s not my girl, you know?” Police reports also matched up to his testimony.
This news comes after a series of stories about people killing those who are closest to them. An Ohio man, Derrick Williams, killed his mother with claims that Wheel of Fortune's host Pat Sajak told him to do so. He was later found not guilty on claims of insanity. Another man, Tony Thomas, was charged with capital murder after he allegedly killed his wife after she changed the TV channel. If convicted, Thomas may be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. His court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 22.
